Let's remember the original story. Halloween is one of the most important Celtic festivals, because it is the festival of Samain (God of Death). More than 2500 years old, it is the time of the year that announces the end of the harvest, the days are getting darker and darker, it is the arrival of winter.
But this festival is also the time of the year when the border between the world of the Dead and the world of the Living is the thinnest, which allows the spirits to join the world of the Living for a few hours.
This is why all the members of the village gathered around a fire and a banquet. Their presence was obligatory under penalty of death. During these banquets, sweets were laid out to try to appease the spirits.
As soon as the door between the two worlds was opened, all the members of the community had to disguise themselves, with animal skulls, animal skins, or tattered clothes, to lure the spirits, and thus to make themselves pass for spirits, so as not to be attracted by them, and thus to cross the border and abandon the world of the living before time.
Around these fires, stories were told. Either scary stories, or frightening legends, but it was especially the moment to make the legends live and last.
During this night of Samain, all the members of a village had to plunge their dwelling in the most total darkness, to extinguish all the fires and candles, which announced the end of the year (according to their calendar), to then gather all together. The monks would light new scythes at sunrise, or each member of the community could take an ember and use it to light the fires and lights in their home. And so begins a new year under the protection of the new fires.
At Rapids, we like to keep this tradition alive, so let's all gather around a (virtual) fire, dress up, lure the spirits, and tell scary stories, no matter if it's a real life story, or an imagined one, your imagination is unlimited.
Wear your best costume, send us a picture of it, write your scariest story, be creative!
And maybe we'll have the chance to meet Jack O'Lantern, the famous Jack who trapped the devil twice and is now condemned to wander the earth, because neither Heaven nor Hell wants him. If you see a man wandering around on Halloween night out of the corner of your eye, it's none other than Jack wandering aimlessly, lit by a lantern fueled by the embers of Hell, until the end of time.
Send your best, most original, most terrifying Halloween story to Chriss on Telegram (https://telegram.me/ChrissRPD)
The 2 best stories will be rewarded (1st will receive 50 RPD via Linkshare, and the second best, its author will receive 30 RPD via Linkshare). These 2 stories will then be posted in an article on the Rapids Medium account.
A third award will be given by Chriss, member of Team Rapids & French Ambassador, a Linkshare of 20 RPD will be offered to the story that will have given him the most (note that this story can be one of the 2 awarded by Team Rapids, or another story), it will be Chriss' choice.
Be sure to participate, Halloween is only once a year, a time for us to be ourselves, without being afraid to shock.
The goal is simple, to scare us!
For this little contest, the rules are simple:
Story of +/- 300 words
In English
No insult, no sexuality, no discrimination
Have fun, your imagination has no limits
Deadline for sending your stories, October 31 at 10 pm UTC
See you soon
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